YOURSAY | PAS duo shoots the messenger

YOURSAY | ‘It is not your intentions that matter, but how the words are received.’

PAS duo downplay criticisms, deputy minister says 'advising' journo to use Malay

PAS duo's personal attack on journalist unforgivable - MP, media groups

Aide comes to minister's defence, accusing reporter of tarnishing PAS ' image

Coward: One thing that unifies every politician in Malaysia regardless of race and beliefs is that they are never wrong. It's always others who misinterpreted them. Let's call a spade a spade. If so many people misinterpreted the same conversation, then the speaker is at fault.

In the case of the PAS duo who insulted journalist Minderjeet Kaur upon her questions of the gaming shop ban in Kedah, I do not believe Deputy Human Resources Minister Awang Hashim’s explanation and would like to remind him that by all standards, it is not your intentions that matter, but how the words are received.

He did not have the interest of the national language at heart when he asked the journalist to rephrase, he wanted to create trouble to excuse himself from not being able to answer the question. The fact that he failed to get his way contributed to his anger. He is trying to emulate the one rumoured to be our next ambassador to Indonesia.

De facto Religious Affairs Minister Idris Ahmad also has to learn the "art" of replying to a question with a question. His audience did not get it and therefore as an artist, he failed.

As to the question of how did Idris know that the people in Kelantan and Terengganu accepted the gambling ban, why can't he reply in a civilised manner instead of asking Minderjeet if she would tolerate her husband being a gambling addict?

Perhaps he knows that he had nothing to back up his claim, or is worried that others will point out to him that just because he thinks it is doesn't mean it must be.

In response to Idris’ aide Khairul Nadzir Helmi Azhar backing him, is PAS’ public image so fragile that it cannot withstand any form of “attack”? Really? In making the assumption that she was indeed out to tarnish PAS image, PAS did itself more damage with the responses its members gave.

As others had pointed out elsewhere, the implementation of the policy to ban 4D outlets in Kedah was not well thought through so it cannot withstand even one minor questioning.

Wake up. If you want to play in the big boys' tent and you did not do your homework, that's what you get. Don't blame others for your shortcoming. Stop defending the undefendable.

Vijay47: Where shall I start, Idris, Awang and Khairul? How about we talk about your responsibilities as political leaders however much we view you with utter contempt?

Or your belief in omnipotence and your cowardly bullying tendencies, your level of abject ignorance, your resorting to distortions when you back yourself into a corner? Or perhaps your delusion that you number amongst God’s chosen few?

What seems to be a common streak among many members of Malay political parties like PAS, Umno, Bersatu, with a fair sprinkling from PKR, is that in pursuit of five minutes of public notice, you are unable to evade the disgust and loathing you earn.

Your crude bullying self is evident from the personal attack on the reporter - what if the subject were vice and the journalist had asked whether your wife and daughters were engaged in such pastimes? That would be another insult to race and religion?

But what earns most sneers is the selective piety that Muslim politicians of your calibre display.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor proudly announced that “I am a Muslim”. So what?

Does that assure him or you of righteousness and common decency supposedly lacking in followers of other faiths?

You attempt to paint yourselves as protectors of society, a task better achieved were it dedicated to the countless ills afflicting your community. Aren’t you concerned with their preoccupation with incest and drugs? Or of wives being discarded after their youthful suppleness has been milked dry?

Of course, being unemployed is a divine blessing, after all, there are 30 percent of the populace to finance such a life of ease.

OCT: These two PAS politicians are uncouth. Having acquired minister and deputy minister status, they think they can exert pressure on others without realising they’ve become arrogant and aloof.

If they don't want to answer the question, just ignore it. There is no need for personal attacks. It is unbecoming of a minister to react with harsh words against an innocent journalist who is just doing her duty.

Maybe both of you got off the wrong side of the bed. That's why there is lots of repressed anger. Both of you took it out on the poor woman. An educated and respectful person will hold back his words, not raise his voice and keep their heads so that they get respect from the rakyat.

It is never funny to answer a question with another question as this is not a reality show. It comes to a point where both of you don't know how to conduct yourself properly. Your crude behaviour and uncouth manner have destroyed/ruined your character for all to see.

No need for damage control. It’s too late for that.

HangTuahPJ: These PAS ministers (for that matter, all ministers) better remember that the rakyat is the boss, not you politicians. You are answerable to us, whether we ask you a question in BM or English and/or whether you like the question being raised or not.

If you come up with a new law or ruling, be prepared to answer all kinds of questions relating to the issue, otherwise resign if you cannot take the heat. You have no right to respond to us in that manner.

Appum: This kind of cheapskate politicians, who are completely incompetent when confronted with a sharp and meaningful question, will always react in such fashion - using language or religion to counter poorly the question asked.

They just do not have the skills and competency to answer such "difficult" questions. That's the true quality of PAS politicians for you to see.

They will retort back with cheap reactive replies connected to your wife, husbands, mother, grandmother, just like some schoolboy quarrels using derogatory terms (related to woman) to defend their turf.

Hmmm: Yes, the usual tactic of the incapables. If you can't answer a question, attack the person asking the question.

Gambling, as with everything else, is only a problem if one becomes addicted to it. A sex fanatic can also ruin families. So, are you going to ban sex too?

The solution to these problems is to teach people to control their addictions, not impose a ban. - Mkini